


The Wrong Menace

by I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning



Series: In Nauseating Variety: Theed Generator [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rise of Empire Era - All Media Types
Genre: Evil Child, Force Choking, Gen, Horror, Murder, Telekinetic Organ Damage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 08:21:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9811106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning/pseuds/I_Gave_You_Fair_Warning
Summary: Concealed Darkness





	

 

 

“You're not ready to pass your trials, are you.”

Obi-Wan, pacing near the doorway, felt frustration.

The Queen had run off with her people, none of the pilots were left, and the Sith had disappeared. Qui-Gon had rushed off to find him.  _Alone._

Because someone had to stay with the child. Couldn't very well leave _him_ alone in the middle of a battle-torn facility, with a Sith somewhere on the loose.

And you don't send the Padawan to find the Sith when you have a Master available.

He sent a longsuffering glance at the child. “Why are you concerned about it?”

“If you aren't knighted, Sir Qui-Gon can't train me.”

Obi-Wan sighed. This worry, at least, he could set at ease. He shook his head. “No, Anakin. Qui-Gon wants to train you, therefore Qui-Gon  _will_ train you. If I fail in my trials...” he swallowed hard, trying to hide the tumult in his own heart— “He's going to take you.”  _And I will return to Agricorps, unless someone has mercy on me and volunteers to complete my training._

Most Padawans were ready in their late teens.

Obi-Wan was twenty-five.

He didn't know if the fact he wasn't ready to be on his own was his Master's fault, or some deficiency of his own...

But there it was.

“I will be trained by Qui-Gon.”

Obi-Wan sent him a weary smile. “Yes. That's what I just said.”

“Qui-Gon will not leave you if you fail.”  
“Oh, I wouldn't—”

“And you have no doubt you will not pass.”

Obi-Wan stared at the child. “How do you—?”

“I saw it. At the Council.”  
“You are... very perceptive, Anakin—”

“He  _will_ train me.”

Obi-Wan felt his throat close and found himself lifted into the air, flying towards the child, his toes dragging against the ground.

He dimly heard the doors behind him slam shut.

He tried to speak, but couldn't gather the air—

He tried to call Qui-Gon through their bond for  _help—_

He found walls around himself in the Force that refused to allow him through, no matter how frantically he battered at them.

He held out his hands toward the child, beseeching,  _willing_ him to understand that he was no threat, that they weren't  _rivals—_

There was a terrible glitter in the child's eyes, and a horrible realization dawned in Obi-Wan's burning mind.

This wasn't the first time Qui-Gon's Chosen One had killed in cold blood.

Instead of breaking his neck or destroying his windpipe, the child kept his throat squeezed tight enough he couldn't speak, and then something else squished inside.

Obi-Wan writhed against the pain, the cruel sensations assaulting his body.

Tasted blood in his mouth. Felt it, sliding from his ears, his nose—

It stung his eyes, blocking out view of Anakin.

Obi-Wan tried desperately to wrench himself free, to throw the child away, to somehow  _escape—_

He couldn't  _think—_

Couldn't even scream—

There was only  _pain—_

 

_* * *_

 

A shadow had fallen between himself and his apprentice.

Qui-Gon Jinn raced for the hanger, terrified he might be too late—

When the shadow lifted, Obi-Wan was  _gone._

He keyed the great doors open—

And found Obi-Wan lying on his back, eyes and mouth open, his expression a frozen rictus of disbelief and despair.

Qui-Gon collapsed beside his bloodstained apprentice, his heart breaking.

He couldn't see a wound on him—

He seemed to have been destroyed from the inside out.

The knowledge of darkness required to accomplish such a feat, especially against  _his_ apprentice—

A muffled sob caught his attention.

_Ani._

He raced towards the sound and found the boy hiding in one of the tiny fighter bays.

“Anakin!”

Terrified eyes lifted to his, but Anakin didn't move.

“What happened?” Qui-Gon crouched down beside him.

“ _It_ was here— a creature— so  _dark—_ it—  _killed_ him, and I thought I was next! Mister Kenobi told me to hide here— that he would protect me, but it  _killed_ him— I couldn't move or it would  _find_ me!” Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks.

Qui-Gon gathered him close and hugged him tight. “You're safe. You're safe now.” Tears of his own wet the boy's tunic.

Obi-Wan.

Distracting the Sith from the helpless innocent, so fully occupying his attention that Anakin escaped unscathed.

_That_ was the apprentice he'd loved.

Pride mingled with grief as he carried the little boy to a safer place, one that didn't reek of death and agony.

And didn't see the gleam of satisfaction when the child peered over Qui-Gon's shoulder at Obi-Wan as they passed the broken body.

 

 


End file.
